I am just so tired of looking for the perfect red velvet!! I have tried using Sara's RV and both times people have said it was too dry! The flavor is great but its not moist enough. I tried Macsmom recipe, but I wasnt too thrilled about the flavor, even though the "testers" did enjoy it.

Anybody, have a good RV recipe that they might want to share? I am thinking of just using a box mix and adding buttermilk to it. I have even decided to not offer it on my flavor list...because I cannot find the perfect recipe

Anyone out there?!?!

There's several variations on here in the recipe section. Red Velvet is not one of my favorites and I don't have it on my flavor list because I've not found the right recipe yet either. My next experiment is going to be using a Red Velvet mix and the WASC method with extra flour and sugar and sour cream and milk for liquid. I think If I add maybe 1/2 - 1 Tbsp of cocoa and a little red food coloring I might end up with something that taste like Red Velvet but isn't dry.

Nooooooo, do not use a box cake! GROSS!!

Here's my recipe, it's so moist its sometimes hard to work with so make sure if your carving/torting, you do so while frozen or semi-frozen

14 ounces Cake Flour
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder (this needs to be really good quality, I have used both natural and dutch but natural high fat yields the best flavor)
1 1/2 tsp salt (i use kosher)
16 ounces canola oil
16 ounces sugar (i use organic)
3 lg eggs (room temp)
2 ounces liquid red food coloring
1 1/2 tsp good vanilla extract
10 ounces buttermilk (shaken)
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp white vinegar

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

coat your cake pan in semi melted butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper

sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt) and set aside

in a standing mixer, mix together oil and sugar. Add eggs one at a time (the eggs MUST be room temp, if they are cold place the eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 min) scrape down the bowl

mix until the mixture comes together and looks smooth with a sort of matte finish (no longer shiny, about 2-3 min)

with the mixer on low, add the food coloring and vanilla in a slow stream until incorporated

add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix for about 30 sec, then immediately add the buttermilk and mix another 30 sec then the rest of the flour. Scrape down the bowl and mix just until the mixture comes together, dont worry if there is still some flour on the sides of the bowl just yet - the key is NOT to overmix

stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and immediately add the mixture to the batter and mix for 10 seconds. Stop the mixer

remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula fold the batter around from bottom up to make sure everything is mixed in completely.

pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when lightly touched in the middle. This will vary depending on your oven so check the cake after 15- 20 min. Do not open the oven for the first 15 min (this is true for ANY cake you bake)

let the cake cool for exactly 20 min. The cake will still be slightly warm and thats what you want. lay a cooling rack over the cake and gently flip over. remove the parchment paper from the top of the cake and wrap in 2 layers of plastic wrap. place the cake into the freezer until frozen through (2 hrs to overnight and up to 4 days). Thaw the cake in the fridge or room temp.

I have one! It is my most requested cake from friends and family, and I have never had a complaint =)

1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups of cake flour (2 tbsp. cornstarch to just under 1 cup of all purpose flour)
2 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of buttermilk or 1 tbsp. white vinegar added to 1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tablespoons of red food coloring
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar

I creamed together the butter and sugar, then added the eggs in one at a time. I mixed together the flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, I whisked together the buttermilk, red coloring, vanilla and white vinegar. I added the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the wet ingredients - beginning and ending with the dry.

I use Edna De La Cruz's crusting cream cheese buttercream recipe with it - it is fantastic! You can find the recipe at www.designmeacake.com.

I've never had a single problem with this recipe - I love it.

My most requested cake (besides white chocolate) is my red velvet cake. I use the recipe found on Pink Cake Box's blog -

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/recipes

It is wonderful! Just don't overbake it, that's when it gets dry. Another good one is CakeMan Raven's recipe on the Food Network...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html

You will not have a problem with this cake being dry! I actually don't use it very often because it is so moist that it seems delicate, making it hard for me to stack without it breaking, but the taste is out of this world good. Maybe I just need more practice handling it - I'm used to handling WASC cakes that are super sturdy!

Definitely do not try the box mix. I don't think it tastes anywhere close to a real traditional red velvet. Yuck! I am a firm doctored box mix believer and I will not touch the RV mix!!!

This is a Red Velvet Cake recipe I make from scratch. Absolutely delicious!!

2 Cups Flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp salt 1tsp cocoa 3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1oz Red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk 1tsp baking soda 1tsp Vanilla 1tsp Vinegar

Oven Temp: 350*
Sift flour,baking powder,salt,cocoa,in bowl.In another bowl cream oil and sugar. Add eggs and food coloring. Mix buttermilk, soda together, add to oil and sugar. Add vanilla and vinegar. Combine both mixtures. Pour into 9" round pans. Bake for 25-30 mins.
While cake is baking mix together 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup sugar and boil. After the cakes are done, poke holes into cake and pour the hot milk all over it.


I make my own buttermilk. 1 cup of milk with 1TBLS of vinegar.

Sorry, i weigh everything as it gives me repeatable results. here it is in cups:

3 1/2 cups Cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups sugar plus 1 Tablespoon
1 1/4 cup of buttermilk

this recipe is very traditional southern style and very moist and soooooo delish. I use a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting for cupcakes and a vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream if Im stacking the cakes since its more stable than cream cheese frosting.

I use a cocoa powder that is considered the best in the world, it's called "High Fat" cocoa powder and I get it from penzys spices. www.penzys.com I also use Valhrona but it's pricey. The quality of the cocoa powder will make a huge difference in not only this recipe but also any scratch chocolate cake too.

Thanks Delababe and threelittleblack birds.

Now I have lots of recipes to play around with

I actually tried Martha Stewarts red velvet cupcakes...and they were amazing!!!
I read the reviews and I think I increased the cocoa slightly as suggested...

This is the link for the cake:

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/recipe/red-velvet-cake?comments_page=1

Make sure you don't overbake it. I find even slightly overbaked the red velvet can dry out.

It sounds like a lot of oil but it makes a lot of batter enough to make 24 cupcakes/1 half sheet cake/ or 2 9 inch cakes.